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With all the warm weather we have been having here in Southern Oregon, my little garden is going nuts… Just a few weeks ago, I planted some bok choy starts and in no time I am completely inundated with bok choy. As I would say, I have “enough to choke a goat”. The problem is that there are just the two of us in the home and what do we do when all the heads of bok choy need to be harvested at the same time? Well, first of all, share with friends, family and neighbors. Second, share with coworkers. Third, I start cooking everything I possibly can with bok choy!

For those who do not know what bok choy is, this is what it looks like. Bok choy is also known as Chinese cabbage. It has a wonderful delicate flavor and goes great in stir-fries, soups and main dishes. I love it because it is easy to grow and it’s super low in calories. It has crunchy white stalks and beautifully flavored green leaves.

While picking bok choy in my garden this afternoon, I took my camera with me to photograph some of the beautiful plants in my yard. This is a photo of a red Japanese maple tree. We have a several Japanese maples planted around our koi pond. They are without a doubt, my favorite specie of deciduous tree.

Next to my kitchen window I have an arbor covered in tiny pink roses. I believe they are called “Cecile Brunner”. You would not know it from the photo but the plant is twenty feet tall and covered with hundreds of blooms! It’s just gorgeous!

On the back patio I have a big pot of Sweet William flowers. Sweet William are adorable little biennials that are fragrant and look wonderful cut and placed in vases. I like the bright pink color and the jagged edges on the petals.

After photographing plants in my yard, I harvested a few heads of bok choy. One of the heads of bok choy was going straight into a light and tasty Bok Choy Shiitake Mushroom Soup for my lunch. The other head of bok choy that I picked will be used in a dish for tomorrow’s dinner.

Next time you have an abundance of bok choy, be sure to try my Bok Choy Shiitake Mushroom Soup. It’s light, flavorful and really easy to make. Makes 4 servings. Enjoy! Tessa